AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49 and Title 55, relative to driver education.
Summary
HB2125 amends Tennessee law on driver education to direct the Department of Education to promote and expand driver education and training courses throughout the public schools of the state. The bill is aimed at increasing access to driver education in public schools and improving highway safety.
The measure also requires the Department of Education, working with the Department of Safety, to develop guidelines for local education agencies and public charter schools that offer driver education. Those guidelines must include safety tips for safe driving and sharing the road, use of the Department of Safety’s driver license manual for instruction, and instruction on the dangers of driving under the influence and distracted driving. The act takes effect July 1, 2026.
Impact
The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49 and Title 55, by adding a statewide directive for the Department of Education to expand driver education and by establishing required instructional guidelines for public school and charter school driver education programs. It affects LEAs, public charter schools, the Department of Education, and the Department of Safety, but does not create a new licensing scheme or mandate a specific course for all students; rather, it standardizes and encourages program content where driver education is offered.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been received positively and moved through the process with little opposition. It passed the House Education Instruction Subcommittee 4-0, the House Education Committee 15-0, and the House floor 81-1 on consent calendar passage, indicating broad bipartisan support for the goal of expanding driver education and promoting roadway safety.
Contention
There is little visible contention in the available record. The only notable issue is the scope of state involvement in local driver education programs, since the bill directs the Department of Education and Department of Safety to develop guidelines for LEAs and charter schools. However, the unanimous committee votes and near-unanimous floor vote suggest that any concerns about local control, implementation burden, or curriculum content were not significant enough to generate recorded opposition.
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 37; Title 49; Title 50 and Title 55, relative to the Family Right to Educational Emancipation (FREE) Act.
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 37; Title 49; Title 50 and Title 55, relative to the Family Right to Educational Emancipation (FREE) Act.